Portable cutting device



1 54 R. A. YOUNG 2,687,151

PORTABLE CUTTING DEVICE Filed Oct. 3, 1952 INVENTOR REX A. YOUNG g Mama/{W ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 24, 1954 PORTABLE CUTTING DEVICE Rex A. Young, Lancaster, Pa., assignor to Armstrong Cork Company, Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 3, 1952, Serial No. 312,885

to l 1 This invention relates to a cutting device, and more particularly to a device for severing ex truded rods of cork composition into predetermined lengths with the cut ends of the rods on a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the rod.

In the manufacture of cork composition rods on conventional extrusion machines such as disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,498,670, issued February 28, 1950, to Luther E. Gaenzle, it has been common practice to manually sever the cork rod beyond the end of the extrusion tube. Because of the distance the operator had toreach to cut the rods, the rods were usually cut with diagonal ends. When these rods are cut into discs in a disc slicer of the type disclosed in copending application Serial No. 312,076 in the names of Charles H. Campbell, Luther E. Gaenzle, and

Rex A. Young, considerable scrap results due to the fact that initial cuts made by the knife on the cork disc slicer do not product full size discs.

An object of this invention is to produce an apparatus which makes it possible to cut cork rods of a uniform length and cuts the ends squarely so that the initial discs severed from the rods by the disc slicer will be full discs and can be used as sealing liners in closures.

Another object of this invention is to provide a portable apparatus which can be easily handled l by a workman.

Other obvious advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the attached drawing in which:

Figure l is a side view of the apparatus in position over a cork rod;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view showing the cutting head before the rod has been severed; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the cutting head after the rod has been severed.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a table 2 over which the extruded rods pass from theextrusion tube of the extrusion machine, not shown. The device comprises a motor 3 and a cutting head 4 located at opposite ends of a supporting tube 5. In the drawing the cork rod to be severed is designated by the numera1 6. On the motor end of the device is a handle 1 which is gripped by the operator when using the device. On the underside of the handle 1 is a contact switch 8 for engagement by the rod when the device is placed in operating position thereover. The handle 1 also has a downwardly projecting extension 9 for engagement with the end of the rod being severed to act as a-gauge to insure that 1 Claim. (c1. 144-21) the rod is cut to the proper length. The handle I, the contact switch 8, and the projection 9 are all mounted on a bracket III which is securely held to the tube 5 by means of the clamping arrangement shown generally at l I.

The head 4 is comprised of two supporting legs [2 which rest on the table 2 when the device is placed in operating position. A yoke I3 is slidably mounted on the legs l2 for vertical movement thereon. This yoke I3 is attached to a housing I4 which houses a saw 15. The housing M serves as a support for the end of the tube 5. The saw or other cutting means is mounted on the end of the tube 5 and rotary motion is transmitted from the motor 3 to the saw l5 by the flexible cable 20 passing through the connecting tube 5.

Positioned between the legs [2 and pivoted about the tube 5 is a pair of fingers l6. One finger I6 is attached to one of the legs [2 and the other finger I6 is attached to the second leg I 2. When the device is in operatin position the legs I2 are positioned one on either side of the rod and the yoke I3 is in its uppermost position, as shown in Figure 2. In this position, the fingers l 6 are open with the free ends thereof on approximately the same horizontal plane as the plane of the bottom of the rod 6.

As downward pressure is exerted on the tube 5, the yoke l3 slides down the legs l2. The housing l4 and the saw l5 also move down with the tube. This downward movement of the tube 5 moves the pivot point I! of the fingers it. Since the ends of the fingers [6 are attached to legs I 2 at points iii, the downward movement of the pivot point I I causes the fingers l6 to pivot thereabout and the free ends, because of their curved configuration, surround the rod and hold it in position while the saw or other cutting means passes down through the rod and severs the same. When the rod is being severed, the various elements of the cutting head are in the position shown in Figure 3.

When the downward pressure is released, the elements of the cutting head will again assume the position shown in Figure 2 by reason of the spring l9 raising the yoke 13 on the legs l2.

In using the device covered by this invention, the operator holds the device by the handle 1 and positions the handle directly over the free end of the extruded rod 6 lying on the table 2 with the legs 12 positioned one on either side of the extruded rod in the proximity of the end of the extrusion tube. The operator grips the free end of the cork composition rod in the hand in which 3 he is holding the handle 1. The rod should be so held that it is on a substantially horizontal plane from the end of the extrusion tube. The end of the rod is held in engagement with the projection 9 and the clamping action, efieeted when the operator grips the rod, closes the contact switch 8, energizing motor 3. With the cutting device in this position, a slight twist of the wrist forces the cuttingend of the device downwardly with the yoke l3 sliding down the legs 12, carrying with it the cutter l5. The downward motion of the yoke l3 on legs 12 causes the fingers 16 to encircle the rod and hold it firmly in position while the cutter engages the rod and severs it. The device is then lifted from its cutting position and the spring 19 returns the yoke to its upper position and opens the fingers, as

shown in Figure 2. When the rod is removed member, a projection on one end of said supporting member for engagementwith the end of the rod to be cut, a cutting head on the other end. of the supporting member, a cutter positioned in said cutting head, the distance from said cutter to said projection being equal to the length of the rod desired, means for actuating said cutter when the device is in position over a rod, and a pair of curved fingers adjacent said cutting head for encircling said rod to hold the same firmly when the cutter is actuated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,175,589 Bogdanffy Mar. 14, 1916 1,499,636 Booth July 1, 1924 1,944,631 Bergstrom Jan. 23, 1934 2,196,288 Binder Apr. 9, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 40,426 Sweden Mar. 29, 1916 866,975 France June 23, 1941 

